tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29827665842201033162024-02-07T21:53:34.983+08:00The Life IntentionalLolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-67297551538237925742014-09-17T09:46:00.002+08:002014-09-17T09:58:57.664+08:00Slip of the Tongue: Tau1 Sik6As any language student knows, every hint of progress is won by many, many mistakes. Funnily enough, several of my recent mistakes were actually still workable in the sentence, although I didn't know it at the time.<br />
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A few weeks ago, I dropped into a Circle K to pick up some ice cream. Since it's near my house, I know some of the workers. This time as I entered, I saw that the two workers, one guy and one girl, were sitting down behind the counter munching some chips.</div>
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Ever trying to practice, I wanted to make a comment about "resting a bit" so I said "lei5 dei6 tau1 sik6." They kind of laughed, and the guy rang me up. </div>
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I wasn't so happy when later I realized that I had totally said the wrong thing. First of all, instead of saying "tau5"(rest) I said "tau1"(steal)! My second problem was that instead of saying "ha3" (a bit), I said "sik6" (eat). So unintentionally I had said they were stealing food! Which, although it wasn't what I was trying to say, did kind of fit the situation.</div>
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Another friend informed me later that my phrase "tau1 sik6" has another meaning also: cheating! Hopefully they didn't think I was using that meaning! Live and learn, live and learn.</div>
Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-61096211296342674602014-08-06T22:11:00.003+08:002014-08-06T22:11:46.488+08:00The Hill of the NightmaresRecently I took a field trip with my Cantonese class to the Hill of Nightmares. Well, it's actually called 10,000 Buddhas. A lot of them are stately and beautiful, but some of the Buddhas would fit right in to a Tim Burton movie. I mean take a look at these guys.<br />
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Seriously, that guy has arms coming out of his eyes! If that doesn't haunt your dreams, I don't know what will. </div>
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I guess I should rewind to the beginning. Let's start with something more cheerful.</div>
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A few of my classmates and I decided to meet up before the appointed time so we could have dim sum at Din Tai Fung, a famous Taiwanese place. Unfortunately, it's too famous for us; the wait was forty minutes. We haven't absorbed enough of the queuing culture, so we decided to ditch in favor of Triple O's. Nothing like a good burger and shake to replace dim sum.</div>
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After lunch, we headed over to a historical place highly recommended by our teacher: Snoopy World. Yes, I did squeal a little inside when I saw the little Woodstock nests surrounding poles all down the walkway. So. Cute. The main attraction the giant Snoopy sleeping on top of an enormous doghouse. They have all kinds of other sculptures. Not that I would know from going inside. As we were applying more sunscreen, we saw that it was closed because of a "thunderstorm warning." Strange...</div>
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Snoopy is oblivious to the "thunderstorm"</div>
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After that it was about time to meet our teacher and other classmates. On a side note, classmates isn't a word that I ever used in the US, but now after hearing it constantly, I also use it. There are many English words that once sounded strange to me that now sound normal. My English is slowly morphing, and I'm not entirely sure that it's a good thing. Anyway, we met up with our class and headed over to the mountain. </div>
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Now, besides the creepiness of some Buddhas, there was another reason for the nightmare. It was so sticky-hot! We were climbing the thousands of stairs to get to the top, and I think we were having some kind of competition to see who could sweat the most. It was like doing a stair-climber workout in a sauna. This is real life, people. </div>
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We finally made it to the top. Triumph! Our teacher explained the significance of some of the statues, and then we high-tailed it up this tower. Now climbing more stairs doesn't sound sane after what we went through to get up the mountain, but we were rewarded at the top by shade and a wonderful breeze. The view of Shatin was also nice.</div>
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The tower</div>
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Peeking over a buddha's shoulder</div>
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After tearing ourselves away from our breezy lookout, we wandered around the main courtyard. It was still hot, but also very <i>ping4 zing6, </i>peaceful. There were a few other people quietly burning incense or looking around, but it was empty compared to Wong Dai Sin or the other temples I've visited. Maybe the climb and the heat deterred other visitors from coming. Either way, I was not sad.<br />
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A beautiful courtyard</div>
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We wandered further along and came to a turtle pool. One couple had brought their six-year-old daughter, and she was enamored with the cute little <i>gwai1. Lou5 si1 </i>(teacher) told us that it was kind of like a turtle orphanage, so people could take their turtles there if they couldn't take care of them anymore. That got E's attention. She has a turtle and has been worrying about what she'll do with it if she moved away from Hong Kong. And here's the solution! Although I can't say that lugging a turtle up all those stairs would be that fun...</div>
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They look like happy orphans</div>
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Just up from the turtle pool was a hill of buddhas. We'd been seeing buddhas all over: on the stairs, around the courtyards, lining the walls of the temples, in the windows of the tower, etc. But I think these looked the nicest, nestled against the green. It kind of looked like it was right out of a storybook. Above that, there was a beautiful white statue posing majestically in front of a waterfall. A photo-op if I've ever seen one.</div>
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Finally it was time to go down. We couldn't resist but pausing on the steps next to our chosen buddha and pose. Although I was entirely too sticky at the end, I had a great time.<i> </i>Thanks for taking us on the field trip, Teacher W! <i>M4 goi1 saai3, lou5 si1! </i></div>
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Do we fit in?</div>
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Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-76327620748510301552014-08-04T00:44:00.000+08:002014-08-04T00:44:14.272+08:00HK Shots: Golden Dragon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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This is Falcor. Well, I'm sure that's not his real name, but I decided to name him after the Good Luck Dragon from Neverending Story. It fits, I think.</div>
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Most people don't even know he exists. I'll tell people about the "hou2 daai6 gum1 lung4" near the Aberdeen Tunnel, and usually they don't know about him. But to my family, he's very special. We always say we'll meet at the dragon or when we're coming home we'll text each other that we're by the dragon. He's a fixture. But then again, if you don't regularly go through the Aberdeen Tunnel, I could see how you would miss him.</div>
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There's a plaque near Falcor. I guess it's telling about how this golden dragon got there, but I can't read it since it's all in Chinese. One day, maybe I will. </div>
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So if you ever find yourself on a bus or taxi heading towards the Aberdeen Tunnel, look up from your phone for a moment and say hi. He'll be waiting!</div>
Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-82614473812839626542014-07-23T23:41:00.001+08:002014-07-26T00:46:10.813+08:00How I'm Learning Cantonese<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve been posting about things I’ve been learning, but recently someone suggested that I talk about how I’m actually learning Cantonese. So it's a bit long, but a rundown of my Cantonese learning history.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My first forays into Cantonese were a bit half-hearted, I’m embarrassed to say. The first year that I lived here I didn’t do much studying at all. My friends or coworkers might teach me a word here or there, but it was all very hap-hazard. I carried a little notebook around so I could write down new words, and I wrote them just like I thought they sounded. At that point I hadn’t learned much about tones, so I just wrote high, medium, low, or rising lines to remind myself of the sound. But even then, it really wasn’t exact, and I often forgot what my own lines were supposed to represent. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_FEOvjzRbce9v0r0Vx8QzwR4KnzlS9sOcx2O-CLfehR3QimZzxtYQEav1qvL57EbU42HVS9UJdoDXlmodr-uKIQ11wLPiHvzSZTHAN_z05xgYZZmpatqecZzB7GTti0rAW18eozua88/s1600/nye1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_FEOvjzRbce9v0r0Vx8QzwR4KnzlS9sOcx2O-CLfehR3QimZzxtYQEav1qvL57EbU42HVS9UJdoDXlmodr-uKIQ11wLPiHvzSZTHAN_z05xgYZZmpatqecZzB7GTti0rAW18eozua88/s1600/nye1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I was so young and innocent (ignorant?) then</div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And after moving back to the US, I forgot most of the words I had learned, excluding the few I used as a secret code at the cafe I worked at. I would say </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sai1 sau2 gaan1</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, bathroom (or literally, wash hand room), to my coworkers, alerting them of my imminent dash to the little girls room. Soon, it caught on, and all of my coworkers started saying it. Even my boss, who for some unknown reason seemed to hold a grudge against the phrase, eventually cracked and used it. The other two frequently used words were </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leng3 zai2 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leng3 leoi5/2, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">handsome guy and pretty girl. One of my coworkers especially liked to say “</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">leng3 leoi2”</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to tell me to let him take the register when a fetching young lady approached.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After I had decided to move back to Hong Kong, I started my study in earnest. I loved watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/carlosdouh">Carlos Douh </a>videos, a Canadian guy who makes Canto slang videos. I also started watching a lot of polyglot videos that really inspired me. Polyglots are people who can speak many languages, and they have a thriving community of bloggers and vloggers. I was inspired by some polyglots like <a href="http://www.fluentin3months.com/">Benny Lewis</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/laoshu505000">Moses McCormick</a> (whose favorite language is Cantonese!) and many others to jump into language learning. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the biggest things I took away from them was to "just speak" to people, even if I was nervous and if I felt like my ability was low. Since I was still in Alaska, I didn't have many (any?) Canto speakers to speak with, but I was able to practice my extremely rusty college Spanish. Although I'd forgotten most of my grammar and a lot of vocab, I was still able to have fun conversations with people. Those interactions really built my speaking confidence, which helped me out when I made my triumphant return to Hong Kong.</span></div>
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I'm trying to practice, but my tongue is frozen!</div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also while still in Alaska, I started studying a really old version of </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Teach Yourself: Cantonese</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> from the library. It is quite thorough, but I didn't totally trust it. When I would text a friend, trying to get some practice with the words I learned, he told me that only his grandmother would use some of the words. So a little outdated. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #eeeeee; white-space: pre-wrap;">After visiting one of my friends in California, a Canto speaker, I realized that my tones needed some serious work. At that point I kind of knew what they were in general, but I didn't have a very good grasp of them. My friend often had trouble understanding me because of my bad tones, so I decided to sit down and work that out. I found this wonderful website that does <a href="http://www.clc.com.hk/material/sound.html">tone drills.</a> I would do the basic tone drills at least five times a day for a few months until I felt like I really knew them. I found that after that, people understood me MUCH better than before!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course this was also before I fully realized that Cantonese has a written and a spoken language. Ah, blissful ignorance. Well, it was blissful until I realized that I'd been studying words from a website for several weeks that were only written Cantonese! No one would ever say those words! Aaahhhhh. Certainly frustrating. Most of my time in Alaska was trial and error, but at least it was a start. I still consistently run into those problems, as even now people will sometimes tell me the written word instead of the spoken (why?!?!?!?) but I'm more wary now.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After arriving on the island of milk tea, I was eager to start practicing. I've been in Hong Kong for nine months, and I'm still as eager to practice speaking as ever. I try to talk to as many people as possible: my security guards, people in my building's elevator, clerks at 7-11, ladies handing out flyers, etc. And of course I also try to talk to my ever so patient friends and coworkers. I've also joined a language exchange meet-up group so that I can have consistent practice every week. It's great to be able to ask questions and just talk with someone to help me.</span></div>
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I'll do it for you, Bruce.</div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also started taking an ISS (International Social Service) Cantonese class. It meets for three hours Sunday afternoon. That can be a little brutal, especially on gorgeous days, but it's worth it. My teacher puts on a tough front to keep us from skipping, but he is really funny and dedicated to teaching us. He's great about mixing vocabulary, practice and drilling, as well as throwing in cultural information for fun. I'm in the intermediate class now (although I wouldn't say I'm actually intermediate level), but unfortunately there aren't enough students to offer an advanced class. I'll have to wait until December. But maybe that's actually good for me, since I can take some time to really go over my notes and try to memorize everything before starting the next class.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yeah, memorization. Not too long ago, I bit the bullet and downloaded the Anki mobile app ($25USD!). I waited for a long time because of the price, but now I'm so glad that I have it. It's basically a spaced-repetition flashcard app that let's you study anywhere using your phone. I've been working on inputting my notes from class and from the language exchange, and it's a lengthy process. Slowly but surely! This also really helps me with the <a href="http://mylifeintentional.blogspot.hk/2014/07/sibling-rivalry-canto-edition.html">study challenge </a>my sister and I cooked up. Now I can study anywhere! On the MTR, in between lessons at work, waiting for an ATM, anywhere! I think now I will be the study champion.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, I also think that surrounding myself in Canto really helps. I think watching movies and tv shows are really important in language learning. I've been a little lazy recently, but for quite awhile I was watching at least one movie a week. I really need to get back into it, since I feel like i make a lot of connections that way. I usually watch long movies using English subtitles. I often rewind and listen again if I read something that I know but I didn't hear it. Or if I see it on the subtitle and think it's a useful word, I might pause the movie to look it up in <a href="http://www.cantonese.sheik.co.uk/dictionary/">Cantodict </a>and then watch it again to try to catch it. I also like to watch Youtube videos without English subtitles They're shorter, so it's better for my attention span, since my level is still pretty low. I'd really like to start watching some Canto reality shows, so if you have any recommendations (and links to watch them), let me know!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I'm cleaning, I like to listen to podcasts like <a href="http://podcast.rthk.hk/podcast/item_epi.php?pid=45">Naked Cantonese </a>(no new episodes but over 200 to work through) and CantoneseClass101 (you can find it on iTunes). I also listen to random ones from RTHK. And of course I eavesdrop everywhere I go. So be careful what you say around me! Who knows? I might understand! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Oh, I forgot the other important part, talking to myself! I often try to think in Cantonese. If I'm walking down the street, I will try to talk to myself about what is happening around me. I'll comment on a lady's hairstyle in my head, only to realize that I don't know what hairstyle is. On good days, I will immediately look up how to say "hairstyle." On bad days, I will forget. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some days, I study. Other days, I just drink Hello Kitty beer.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">It's a process for sure, and I'm very far from fluency, but I'm having fun and learning a lot. And that's what counts in language learning!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #eeeeee; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">I've tried to link most of the resources here, but if you have any other questions about anything, just drop me a comment!</span></div>
Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-75340101754389201972014-07-15T23:28:00.001+08:002014-07-15T23:28:30.910+08:00My HK July 4th<i>Mei5 Gwok3, Sang1 Yat6 Faai3 Lok6! </i>Happy Birthday, America!<br />
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I've always enjoyed July 4th. I love the swimming, the outdoor games, the watermelon, the grilling, the fireworks. And of course having the day off is always nice. I've had a few memorable celebrations in my life. <br />
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One year I was working at my city's public pool (I was a cashier, not a life-guard, for the curious). Every July 4th was a free day, so it was madness. Kids were running everywhere, cannon-balling into the water, screaming at each other, wolfing down dripping popsicles. We had vats of rubber ducks to give out as prizes for the water games lifeguards were trying to run. I manned the door with a marker, only letting people in when others vacated the area. It was as close to a bouncer as I've ever gotten. <br />
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Another year I was working as a camp counselor. We had taken all the kids into the little nearby mountain town for the festivities. There was a lot of hacky-sack and arm-wrestling going on. I was a bit envious of the non-counselor staff-members. They were able to join the townspeople in dancing while those of us shepherding herds of kids were relegated to a field. Still, while lying in the grass with dozens fo teens watching fireworks light up the black sky, I was happy. <br />
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Now that I'm in Hong Kong, I feel like I like July 4th even more. It's not as easy to celebrate. I still have to go to work, there's no fireworks, and most people don't even know about it. So take it on myself to celebrate.<br />
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Although I had to work on Friday, July 4th, I decided to dress properly for the occasion. I had already told my students and coworkers that I'd be wearing red, white and blue, but when I surveyed my closet the night before I realized that I didn't actually have anything to wear! I dashed down to Maple (a cheap clothing chain) to find a blue and white scarf and then to Bonjour to pick up some appropriately-colored nail polish. American-attire acquired. <br />
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On the day of the 4th, I went around all day practicing my newest phrase: <i>Mei5 Gwok3 dok6 laap6 yut6 faai3 lok6! </i>Happy American Independence Day! Now most people didn't quite get that one. Several friends told me I should say <i>Mei5 Gwok3 gok6 heng3 (</i>America's National Day) instead, but I wanted to say it exactly. So I compromised by first saying Independence Day, and when they looked confused I would explain that it was our national day. Seriously, I was practicing it all day. Of course I said it to all my coworkers. I said it to my security guards. I said it to my friends. I said it to the guy who works at the hardware store on my way to work. I said it to the lady handing out flyers. I think everyone who saw me that day should know what day it is. And I definitely won't be forgetting that phrase anytime soon.</div>
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After work, I headed over to a friends to prepare a celebratory dinner. We figured that breakfast-for-dinner would be a good choice. He did most of the cooking while I chopped things. When our other friends arrived, we ate and then played games. Fun times!</div>
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Very traditional. :)</div>
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The next day was Saturday! I usually have to work on Saturday, but I took off just to celebrate Independence Day. I was SO happy to be heading to a beach on Lamma Island instead of working. It was a beautiful day! Well, maybe a bit more hot than I would like, but at least the sky was blue. </div>
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The only way to get to Lamma is by ferry. I was afraid that I would be late, but got there just in time! Unfortunately, two of our friends were not so lucky since they had gotten stuck in a traffic jam. They got there minutes after the gate closed and watched us pull away. Sad! They had to wait for another ferry and then hike even longer to meet us. After we arrived, we hiked about fifteen or twenty minutes to get to the beach. The sand was hot and the air was hot and I was tired from carrying two big bottles of honey-green tea (my substitute for lemonade). </div>
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The trail to the beach</div>
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I rushed into the water, trying to find some relief from the heat. Unfortunately, the water was also pretty warm, but better than burning sand. I also found that if I swam out a bit further the water was cooler. I kept finding cool patches and trying to tread water there, but then the coolness would dissipate, and the cycle would start again. A few of us swam out to the floating dock, and three of us managed to cut ourselves on the barnacles. We joked that the slowest would get picked off by sharks on the way back. But don't worry, we still have all our limbs.</div>
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After swimming for awhile, it was chow time. One guy brought the meat (very nice meat!), and the rest of us brought sides like chips or plates. I had wanted to bring watermelon, but decided that with the heat and hike it would be too troublesome, so I settled on grapes. And those heavy (but delicious) honey green teas. </div>
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Burgers and chicken. Brats, not pictured.</div>
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After eating (too much), it was game time again. We played a fun game called Masquerade (I think). It's kind of like a mix between Mafia and Go-Fish. Kind of.</div>
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Let's play!</div>
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After the game, it was about time to go. We packed everything up and headed out to catch our ferry. The sun was going down on a beautiful day. The only thing missing was fireworks!</div>
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Goodbye, Lamma!</div>
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Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-28942727258670250522014-06-24T23:51:00.002+08:002014-06-24T23:59:50.616+08:00Of Buns and Floating ChildrenSteaming white buns stamped with red. Crowds spilling all over the small island. Children in intricate costumes "floating" down the main street in the parade. The pounding of drums. Lion dancers. Lots and lots of lion dancers.<br />
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Yes, this post is a little late. Cheung Chau's Bun Festival was back in the beginning of May. But I had such a good time there that I didn't want to leave it without a post. So here it is!</div>
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It was a public holiday, so I didn't have to work the Monday of the Bun Festival. I ignored the advice of countless people and decided to make the journey to Cheung Chau. I heard that it would be a nightmare of sweaty crowds and unending ferry queues. While it was crowded (I heard around 20,000 people descended on the island), it wasn't quite that bad. Maybe the slight rain kept the crowds at a fairly manageable size. Either way, I was happy. I waited for less than an hour to board the ferry on both ends, and I even had a good view of the parade (although maybe it was just good luck; I'll get into that later). </div>
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I met up with my sister and three friends at the ferry piers in Central in the morning. The parade was supposed to start in the afternoon, and we wanted to catch lunch as well as grab a good spot well before it started. We were lucky enough to get seats on the ferry ride over; some people had to stand the whole way.</div>
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Goodbye, Hong Kong Island!</div>
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When we arrived at Cheung Chau, the crowds were out in force. We were all starving at that point so tried find a nice place to eat. I had looked up a restaurant on the internet, but it appeared to be closed. Another one nearby looked nice, but it was full. We were tired of fighting the crowds and getting a little "hranky" (you know, hungry and cranky?) at that point. Thankfully, I remembered that a friend suggested going to a restaurant on the back of the island. The others didn't have faith in me when I had them walk across the beach and down some people-less paths, but finally we made it to the restaurant! They forgave me then, because it was so nice. The tables were outside, overlooking a windsurfing beach. It was quiet and beautiful, a great place to chill and talk.</div>
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Much happier now.</div>
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After eating, we plunged back into the crowds to stake a spot for the parade. We still had an hour before the parade was supposed to start, but we heard it was hard to find good places. We went to the main square, but it was already filling up. We were standing behind row upon row of people and couldn't see very well. We squeezed around a corner onto another street. It wasn't quite as crowded there, and I noticed that people were setting out chairs. We figured that they must know something. I saw a space in front of a shop that looked like a good place to stand, so I saved it while the others look for another place. In fact, the shopkeeper next door even told Y that she should go watch the parade by the tree; it was a better place. Of course, we had just been there and knew it was super crowded, so I think she was just trying to get rid of us. </div>
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Now this is where my foreignness helped us out! While I was saving our spot, several older people set up chairs in front of me, but they didn't say anything. I suspect that they didn't speak English so they didn't know how to shoo me away. Several groups of Cantonese people tried to get past them to stand by me, but the old people waved them away. Score! Finally the others came back; no better spots had been found. It really was perfect. Since the old people were sitting down, no one was in our way. We also had an awning over our heads, so when it started raining, we didn't get too wet. The only thing we were missing was a chair!</div>
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Eating a potato spiral</div>
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People chilling, waiting for the parade to start.</div>
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After waiting for an hour or so, the parade started. I have to say, although this was the floating children's parade, the majority of the parade was people in t-shirts. They'd have a couple lion dancers and drummers, and then a <i>long </i>crowd of people in matching t-shirts. It was also amusing to me that a lot of the people in the parade were very casual. I mean like smoking, texting, drinking beer, casual. I don't think I've ever seen parade participants texting as they walked down the street before. A bit amusing.</div>
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These guys were more serious</div>
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I like the action. Note the beer can on the left.</div>
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It seemed that we had stumbled into the local viewing section of the parade, since the people around us kept waving to those in the parade, laughing together, changing seats to sit with someone else. It was a nice experience. We also noticed that the parade groups would often pause a little to our left and do a special trick or blow a kiss or something to the people sitting a shop or two down from us. We were wondering who was sitting there. Finally Y heard some people talking about it; all the kung fu sifus (masters) were sitting next to us! </div>
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Of course, we were looking forward to the floating children (yes, not the people in t-shirts). Although they were few and far between, it was very fun to see them! Their costumes were great. Some were historical and some had to do with current events (even poking fun at current events). </div>
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In case you were wondering, they aren't really floating (darn it). It looked like they were standing on a pole which also ran up their pant-leg and attached to a harness/belt around their waist. Or something like that. Anyway, up close you can see that they're standing, but from far off they did look like they were floating above the crowd!</div>
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They were all really cute. Miss Brazil was definitely the most confident floating child. She was waving and blowing kisses like nobody's business. Then they had a mini bun-scrambler climbing his mini bun-mountain (the main activity of the festival is bun-scrambling). So cute! The little girl in blue and pink looked kind of scared but resolute. And then Mr. Ga Ga in a suit. I had asked my friend what his sign said, since he looked like one of the satyrical ones. She said "<i>ga1 ga3" </i>but didn't know how to translate it. I was very happy because I knew the answer! We had just learned the phrase "<i>ga1 ga3</i>" (yes, it sounds like a baby noise) in Canto class, so I knew it meant "increase price." There's nothing like real-life application to make your learning stick.</div>
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After the parade, we ducked into a small dessert shop to relax and restore our energy. After all, we had been standing for around three hours! I felt better with some sugar in my system, so we went to find the bun towers.</div>
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Now the biggest event of the festival is not actually the parade but the bun-scrambling. They have these huge towers totally covered with lucky buns! They have a competition where men (do women do this too? I've only seen men do it) scale the towers and see who can collect the most buns. It sounds really exciting. Unfortunately, the competition starts at midnight. After a full morning and afternoon, I was definitely too tired to stay for the scrambling. Next year I hope to go at 8 or 9 at night just to see the event.</div>
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At least I got a picture with a tower</div>
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Before we left, we tried to get more buns. I looked for a sesame bun in vain (sesame is my favorite flavor). I had a communication problem earlier when trying to buy some buns, so my hot "sesame" buns turned out to be cold lotus buns. Well you can't win them all, but at least I persevere! The others lined up to buy more buns (custard, I think). While I was waiting for them, a lion dance started right next to me! I've never been quite this close to the lion before.</div>
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The lion snatching up the lettuce</div>
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It was a good end to a nice (but tiring day). We tramped back to the ferry (queuing for an hour) and wearily made our way home. I can't wait for next year!</div>
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This little guy did make it home with me. Now I'll have a lucky bun all year!</div>
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Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-47652796459681293462014-05-13T22:57:00.002+08:002014-05-13T22:57:35.708+08:00More and MoreI've been learning <i>jyut6 lai4 jyut6</i>, more and more, recently. It's kind of exciting to catch more, understand more, interact more. Of course my level is still really low, but I'm climbing the hill. <br />
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Recently I've learned some really good phrases that help me express myself more, like "at the same time," "before", and "you've got to be kidding me." Then I've learned a lot of new vocab for things I see on a regular basis. Just this week I finally decided to look up "tunnel" as I was riding through the Aberdeen Tunnel (<i>Heung1 Gong2 Zai2 seoi6 dou6). </i>Then later that week I was telling someone that living in Ap Lei Chau was a little troublesome because of the tunnel. So I got to use it right away! <br />
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As I said before, sometimes looking up words aren't so straightforward. Just like English, often several words will come up, and I don't always know which one to use. I looked up "must" today, but there are SO many entries, so I couldn't even hazard a guess on that one. Same story for "only/just." <br />
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Last night I watched Young and Dangerous 4 (<i>Gu2 Waak6 Zai2 Sei3</i>). I used subtitles, but it was cool to hear some words that I've recently learned in class or on my own. When I learn a word, I think I need a human element to cement it into my mind. Although it's better when I use it in person, like in conversation, movies also help. And on a side note, Ekin Cheng looked really cool the whole movie, but he kind of ruined it with the last fight he got in, flailing around, throwing up his arms, grabbing at his opponent. Not. Very. Cool.<br />
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Today I got a lot of practice in, some successful and some not quite so much, but it's all practice. I was helping my mom, since they're moving to a new flat. It's only a few blocks away, so we were carting stuff back and forth in suitcases. I tried to strike up conversations with people in the lift. I'm not sure how to say "moving" so I was trying to say that my parents are going to live here, but I didn't always get the message across. After getting off the lift, one man pointed at us and said something to the security guard about "airport." I don't think he got what I was trying to say and was extrapolating from our suitcases.<br />
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Then when I was going home later, I was standing at the stop, waiting for the minibus. The lady in front of me was watching something on her phone, and I recognized the song that was playing. It was Dream High, a Korean drama. I commented that I watched that drama before, and so we started talking. She asked me if I was watching <i>Sing1 Sing1</i> (My Lover From the Stars, or something like that) the new Korean drama that is tearing through the city. I told her no. Before I was studying Korean so I watched Korean shows, but now I'm studying Cantonese so I watch Cantonese movies. We went on to have a good conversation. She said a lot of things that I didn't understand, but I was able to respond and make comments, and we were still able to talk until the bus showed up. It was quite nice!<br />
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I think that's one advantage of being a foreigner: small talk. Hong Kong people don't seem to be much for small talk, which is quite different from where I grew up. Of course, I like talking to strangers, and I try to do it even more now because I want to practice. If I were a local, or even a <i>waa4 kiu4 </i>(overseas-born Chinese), I don't think they'd be so accepting of my small talk (or so I've been told). But since I'm a foreigner, and a fairly non-threatening one at that, I think people are more open. Either way, it works for me!<br />
<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-26251569159094208472014-04-11T00:19:00.002+08:002014-04-11T00:19:39.339+08:00Ups and DownsMy Cantonese progress, like most things in life, is full of ups and downs. <br />
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Some days I feel eager to talk with my security guards or convenience store clerks or anyone who will listen. Other days, words whizz past me, slipping through my fingers as I desperately try to catch at least one of them. Some weeks I study at home, watch Canto video clips on Youtube, try to practice with coworkers and friends, and write down questions to ask my teacher. Other weeks, my brain feels like a cold turnip cake, tired, squishy, and useless. I usually do nothing then.<br />
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Today was a good day, as you might have guessed. Usually if it's a bad day I can't muster up enough enthusiasm to create a post; if I'm feeling good I'll want to keep going, whether that be studying, watching a Canto video or writing a blog post. <br />
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This evening I took the <i>ding1 ding1</i> (tram/trolley) down to Central for a language exchange meet-up. I've been going to for several months, and they're pretty fun. They run about two hours. I practice with one partner at first, and we switch after an hour. For a half an hour we practice English and for the other half an hour, Cantonese. After it's over, there's an optional dinner at a nearby restaurant.<br />
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Tonight was a good night. My partners spoke slowly (in general) and were pretty good about explaining new words to me. I learned a lot of good ones, like <i>yao5 si4</i>, sometimes. So useful, la! Then at dinner I was able to talk with more people, having actual conversations! Of course I made so many mistakes, but the communication was fun, so that's key. <br />
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It's funny how much of a difference the other person makes. On the listening end, I feel defeated if I can't catch anything they're saying. I swear some people are practicing to be auctioneers. I've been told by a lot of people that Americans speak more quickly than other English-speakers. That may be true, but if that's the case I think Hong Kongers are the Americans of Asia. Wah, they speak so quickly! I think some people just aren't able to speak slowly. Even after I ask them to slow down, they'll just repeat what they said at the same speed! Aiya! <br />
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And then there's the vocabulary side. If we're speaking about some topics, I know a lot of words. Despite my mistakes, the communication is fun and natural. I can even throw in some slang words or phrases I've learned. But then other times we'll be talking about something, and I feel like I don't understand every other word and have to keep looking them up. And then I don't know how to express myself, so it's a cycle. A slow and frustrating cycle. <br />
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Even week to week my mood can vary. On good weeks, when I watch videos or read blog posts by other language learners, I feel inspired. It makes me want to keep going and gives me new study ideas. On bad weeks, I feel like a failure. Why am I not putting in as much study time as they are? Why am I not seeing as much success even though I've been studying longer? Why don't I know how to say "short"?<br />
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I've come to accept the ups and downs; they're part of life. I think I've settled on a fairly good system of relaxed learning. Some weeks I work hard and other weeks I slack off, but it evens out in the end. Maybe I won't learn as quickly as some others, but I can still enjoy the process as well as keep up other activities outside of language learning. I'll just learn <i>yut1 bou6 yut1 </i><i>bou6, </i>step by step. <br />
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I'll get there some day.Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-13956812566141008482013-08-09T15:23:00.003+08:002013-08-09T15:23:50.525+08:00The Denali TripHow the time flies. In just two weeks I'll be moving back to Hong Kong! I'm pretty excited. I'm going to spend a week in Arkansas, then go to Istanbul for a few days (extended layover), and then I'll be in the land of milk tea! Should be fun times, right? <div>
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Now I'm quite busy finishing up work, getting logistics worked out, and trying to fit in some fun stuff. I figured it would be some kind of crime to leave Alaska without going to Denali, so last week Nathan and I made the trip. </div>
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We left Friday evening and drove to Denali. It's quite a long drive but the scenery was great and we had some interesting podcasts to listen to (Freakonomics and Hardcore History!). When we finally made it to the southern part of Denali, we stopped at a scenic lookout and took some pictures of a mountain that could have been in some kind of villain cartoon. It was really dark and pointy and funny-looking. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out so well. When we drove on into the park, we glimpsed Mt. McKinley through the the mountains and clouds.</div>
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By the time we got to our campsite at the entrance of the main park, it was after midnight. We drove around trying to find our name on a campsite but never did. After twenty minutes of looking we just pulled into an empty one and set up camp.</div>
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I'm not much of a camper since I rarely sleep, so I was up at five thirty. Although the weather report predicted rain, it was a beautiful morning. When Nathan woke up we boiled some water on a tiny portable stove so we could have oatmeal and tea and coffee. We had opted to take the eight hour shuttle bus (four hours each way) and we got on the one leaving at eight. </div>
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The scenery was quite wonderful although it was difficult to stay awake since I had barely slept the night before! We got to see a mama bear and her cubs, a moose, two caribou and some ptarmigans, although the ptarmigans were the only things that were actually close. Overall, it was a pretty fun trip! And of course now I can check it off my list. Check.</div>
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On the bus, ready to go!</div>
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It may look like just a bunch of blonde rocks but it's actually a mama bear and her babies taking a nap.</div>
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Pretty scenery.</div>
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Kind of looks like a green screen, dunnit?</div>
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Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-7393427073897040412013-07-11T13:31:00.003+08:002013-07-11T13:31:28.577+08:00A Whittier FourthI had Independence Day off this year. Hooray! Rebecca and I decided to visit Whittier, a small town on Prince William Sound. It's pretty close to Anchorage, only about an hour away, but I'd never been there before.<br />
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Welcome to Mordor</div>
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The fun thing about Whittier is that you have to go through a tunnel which is only open at certain times so you have to watch the schedule or you might have to stay longer than you wanted. We had decided to have a picnic, but when I woke up the day was gray and rainy. We went anyway but decided to have our "picnic" in the car parked in front of a waterfall. <br />
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My view from the car</div>
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After lunch we wandered around a bit. The water was exceptionally beautiful, an interesting gray color. We drove around the town, taking maybe ten minutes, and bought some fudge before heading back to the tunnel. <br />
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My mom bought me that raincoat</div>
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Maybe old mining junk?</div>
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On the other side of the tunnel there's a visitor center for glaciers, and we popped in. <br />
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I made a friend</div>
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Pieces of glacier floating around</div>
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Ooh</div>
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Glacier!</div>
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On the way back to Anchorage, we pulled off at a little lake. In nicer weather, it would be a great picnic spot as well. The gorgeous water was only marred by a few seagulls floating on its lightly rippled surface. Dang seagulls. </div>
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That night I joined my small group for games and a cookout. Looking back on it, I had a very traditional fourth. Picnic, games, bbq. The only things missing was the volleyball/baseball and swimming. Oh, and the fireworks. They had a firework ban. I guess you can't win them all.</div>
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<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-16520630397501374732013-06-23T16:13:00.000+08:002013-06-23T16:13:02.152+08:00Happy SaturdayI didn't really have any plans for today, a Saturday, but plans seemed to find me! My friend Rebecca texted me in the morning and asked if I'd like to go have a picnic! Of course I said yes. <br />
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Then someone else e-mailed me that they found a place that served chicken feet and egg tarts! I had just been talking with her about Hong Kong food I like, so it was really sweet of her to let me know. Since I'm carless at the moment, Rebecca picked me up. She kindly agreed to take me by the Chinese place to pick up my picnic food. <br />
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Thank you, Charlie.</div>
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It took me a little while to make a decision, but I finally decided on chicken feet, har gou, sticky rice lotus leaf, and an egg tart. For good measure I got some bubble tea, but it was just Thai tea. I talked to the lady at the register a little, but unfortunately she only speaks Mandarin. :( As far as the food went, in case the suspense is killing you, it was fair to good. The chicken feet were great and the sticky rice was good. The egg tart was decent (a bit too sweet, I think), but the har gou wasn't very good. It was mashed shrimp instead of whole, and it had this strange taste to it, so I didn't even want to finish it. Still, overall I was pleased. </div>
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The little lake we went to was a bit out of the city but worth the drive. It was beautiful! There was a cute little sandpiper that kept us entertained while we ate. Lunch and a show! A bunch of people showed up and started setting up a party, apparently a German party, so we didn't linger too long over lunch. There was a trail nearby that looped around the lake so we decided to walk it.</div>
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There's not much else to say except that everything was beautiful. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.</div>
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Lupines!</div>
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Wild roses</div>
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Reflections</div>
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Interesting foliage</div>
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After the successful, yet mosquito-ridden, walk, we went back to Anchorage and had some delicious frozen yogurt! Rebecca was taking me home when I saw something was happening out in front of the Dimond Mall. A Korean festival of some sorts? She dropped me off and I went to investigate. A bunch of churches had set up boothes and had food and such. They had a stage too, but unfortunately I had missed the performances. They were playing Korean music on the loudspeakers, and a Vixx song that I just bought came on twice! I bought some Korean donuts and dukboki. </div>
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I was eating at a table when I heard someone calling my name. It was my boss's daughter! I went over and sat with her and her friends while I finished my snack. The festival was over and people started taking stuff down, so I decided to go in the mall. I didn't see too much interesting stuff, but I did get a pair of much-needed black flats. I also saw another friend who works at the mall. It was slow in her store so we talked for awhile. </div>
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Then I got a text from my life group leader. My church life group was getting together to hang out. We went to a high school to play ultimate frisbee and then volleyball. I'm not good at either one, but it was still fun. I actually even had a fun time playing volleyball, which is saying something. </div>
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Afterwards we went to someone's house where they grilled some fish (halibut and salmon). It was SO good. Probably the best halibut I've ever had (although I haven't had it too many times, still). They had some fun backyard games to play and we also talked a lot. I played washer pitching, which I'm also not good at (do you sense a theme here?) but still had a good time. I did get better towards the end! </div>
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All in all it was a wonderful Saturday. I didn't get much done in a productive sense, but that's ok. After all, I have to enjoy my Alaskan summer!</div>
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<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-89544551556975468012013-06-16T15:01:00.000+08:002013-06-17T12:25:42.343+08:00San Fran and Five Iron Frenzy!Those of you who know me probably know that I love music. More specifically, I'm crazy about Blindside and Five Iron Frenzy. I got to to a <a href="http://mylifeintentional.blogspot.com/2011/09/blindside-finally.html">Blindside show</a> a couple years back but Five Iron was still broken up then. I thought my dream would never come true. BUT. Oh yes, there's a but.<br />
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They got back together again! They've been making new music and playing a few shows! Last weekend they had a show in San Francisco! I didn't know if I should do it, since it would involve buying an expensive plane ticket, but after talking to my mom and some friends I decided to go for it. After all, this has been a life long dream. To make matters even better, one of my good friends from Hong Kong lives there! <br />
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I didn't take too many pictures, but I took a couple.<br />
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Dim Sum and friends! Anchorage is sorely lacking in the dim sum department.</div>
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Bubble tea! That's something else Anchorage lacks.</div>
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Besides having wonderful dim sum and bubble tea, I also got to eat HK diner food and have...HK style milk tea! It's SOOOOOO good. Oh man, I wish there were some in town. I also got to practice a bit of Canto, which clearly needs a lot of work. But at least it was fun.</div>
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We got to the show right when the doors opened, and there weren't many people there at all! I was told that San Franciscans tend to plan tons of stuff for one weekend so they can't afford to be early anywhere. Works for me! We got a spot on the front row, right in between Reese and Brad! I literally couldn't have had a better spot. </div>
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They put on SUCH a good show. They were funny and had a nice rapport. They joked with the crowd. They even played pretty much all the songs I wanted them to. I wondered if they would play "You Probably Shouldn't Move Here" since it's about why you should leave California and move to Colorado (facetiously, of course) but they did! So happiness. </div>
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This picture cracks me up.</div>
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Reese and his dancing.</div>
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The wonderful horn section!</div>
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I even got a great video, although the sound is crap. Here it is if you'd like to watch it, but I suggest muting it. It was of one of my favorites, American Kryptonite.</div>
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With that, bye bye!</div>
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<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-76406332340772439692013-04-27T02:27:00.001+08:002013-04-27T02:27:15.867+08:00Heart Food: SearchingJust a quick thought for today. Recently I've been thinking a lot about how God is worth more than anything else. While I've always known that, I've recently been thinking about what that means practically. How does that play out in my life? How should my life look different because of that?<br />
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Today I read Psalm 9:10 "Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you." <br />
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Faith can seem crazy to those who don't believe. I understand that, because they don't know the Lord. Those of us who know God, who have experienced him, who have had their lives changed, who see him work daily, we know that he will always be there for us. We know that he is the only constant in our lives. Our rock.<br />
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There are many things that the world would have you seek: money, happiness, fame, security, friends, a good job, creativity, etc. I know that I feel the pull of them sometimes. But the thing is, all of those things can easily be lost. If a person builds their life around those things or around the pursuit of those things, they will come up empty. But those who seek the Lord will never be abandoned and their hope is sure. I want to work hard at looking for God and knowing him. That's the kind of investment I want to make with my life.<br />
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"You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart."<br />
--Jeremiah 29:13Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-87683159831661104002013-04-13T02:10:00.002+08:002013-04-13T02:10:56.489+08:00Heart Food: BattleI was reading in Hebrews yesterday, Hebrews 11-13 to be specific. That's great stuff, by the way. Once upon a time I thought Hebrews was a bit boring, but now I don't understand how I ever thought that! Chapter 11 is the famous "faith" chapter that quickly runs through a lot of the old testament heroes and how they lived by faith. In verse 32, the author mentions others who he doesn't have time to talk about but who still lived by faith. So my thought was, why Barak?<br />
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I went back to read his story again, which is in Judges 4 and 5. Israel was being oppressed by the king of Canaan. His army commander, Sisera, led a formidable army that included 900 iron chariots. Deborah was leading Israel at the time as a prophetess. I've always liked Deborah, probably because she was a female judge and also because she actually went into battle! When she told Barak that God wanted him to lead troops into battle against Sisera, he said he'd only go if she went too! So it makes me wonder, why is he included in the faith chapter? Yes, he did lead an army against Sisera, but he wouldn't do it on his own. I don't really have an answer for this, but maybe God was still honoring his actions, even if they weren't heroic as I would have liked. And I guess asking Deborah, a woman, to come with him showed how scared he was. But despite his fear, he did it anyway. Maybe that's why.<br />
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If you don't know the story, they won. Barak leads some of the tribes into battle and rout the enemy. Sisera gets a tent peg through the head and they all live happily ever after. But wait, then there's chapter 5. I've always had the tendency to skip over chapter 5. In my mind it was just a song of triumph, so how interesting could it be? This time I read it more thoroughly.<br />
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Barak and Deborah sang the praises of the tribes who fought that day: Benjamin, Zebulun, Issacher, some from Ephraim, and Naphtali. Despite their fear, they rose up and fought. They saw God work a miracle through them! How crazy would that be? They thought they were going to die, but instead their enemies, their tormenters died. I can't imagine the elation, maybe even giddiness, they would feel. <br />
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But then, Barak and Deborah also sing about the other tribes, those who didn't answer the call, those who stayed behind to let others fight. <br />
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"The princes of Issacher were with Deborah; yes, Issacher was with Barak, rushing after him into the valley. In the districts of Reuben, there was much searching of heart. Why did you stay among the campfires to hear the whistling for the flocks? In the districts of Reuben there was much searching of hearts. Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan. And Dan, why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained on the coast and stayed in his coves. The people of Zebulun risked their very lives; so did Naphtali on the heights of the field." (Judges 5:15-18)<br />
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Barak and Deborah sing about the fighters before and after mentioning the cowards, emphasizing their passivity. The line about Reuben was most interesting to me. They really thought about it, but in the end they decided to play it safe. I imagine that they would have regret their actions. They had the chance to be a part of something big. They had a chance to have God work a miracle through them, but they stayed home. How terrible I would feel! Of course, their actions didn't change their standing. They were still God's people, but they missed an opportunity.<br />
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I think that could be true for us today. Are we going to take part in his great work or sit at home? This isn't about works or earning salvation at all. But don't you want to be part of the battle? Don't you want to look back on what happened and just laugh at what God has done? I do. I want to fight, hopefully like Deborah, but at least like Barak. Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-75160039125721307022013-03-27T08:32:00.004+08:002013-03-28T02:33:39.056+08:00Heart Food: Holiness"Therefore [since we have been privileged with the Gospel], prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when jesus Christ revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"<br />
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1 Peter is SO GOOD. It's just packed with cool stuff. Here Peter says three things--to prepare your mind for action, , to be self-controlled, and to set your hope where it should be. It seems that all of these things have to do with being holy, something he calls us to at the end of the paragraph.</div>
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In order to actually do it, actually live a holy life, I need to prepare my mind. My actions flow out of my mind, what I think and the values I've embraced, whether consciously or unconsciously. If I've prepared my mind in advance, I won't have to stop and think about what to do in many situations. It will be ingrained there so I can act. No hesitation. A huge part of that preparation is reading God's Word. David said "I have hidden your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11). So we can understand that hiding God's word in our hearts, which I take to mean reading, meditating on, memorizing, and loving, will keep us from sin. It makes sense to me. I know it works that way with many things. For an example, let's look at eating healthfully. I want to do it. I know that it's a good thing, but I don't always do it. When I'm around others that make it a priority or I read a book or blog about healthy eating, I'm filled with inspiration and I can't wait to get started. This week I've been reading such a book, and today I had Greek yogurt for breakfast and packed cucumbers and hummus for a snack at work. Sure, I could do it without the book, but it becomes such an effort. Instead of being automatic, I have to force myself. There's not as much joy. And with sinning, and living a holy life, we can't even hope to do it on our own or force ourselves to do it! We could force ourselves to adhere to certain rules or standards, but that's not holiness, that's legalism. It's only through Christ that we can truly live a holy life.</div>
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Then there's the self-control bit. I know that self-control is important, but it's not my favorite fruit of the spirit. I much prefer love or patience or joy. Self-control...well I'm not so great at that. If I feel like some chocolate I make up a big glass of chocolate milk (side note: I just read that humans don't register liquid calories the way they do solid ones; so strange!). I'll decide to get up early to get stuff done or exercise and then will actually get up around eleven. Self-control is something I should definitely work on. Part of being holy is staying pure. I don't just mean that in an abstinence kind of way. Purity is part of your whole life. It's being free from evil and corruption. It's walking in God's ways and saying no to my own selfish desires. Without self-control I give in because it's easier and because I want what I want. I know it won't be easy, but thankfully "I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13). </div>
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Finally, I need to set my hope on the grace of Christ. I think I often set my hope on other things, especially in myself and my own abilities. I feel like through my own experience I can land a job to support myself. I build a life plan based on what I can do for myself and what I think I can realistically accomplish. If i study hard and learn other languages then I can get a job as a flight attendent or work with exchange students. If I have experience teaching I can land a good ESL job. If I'm good at making coffee, I can work at a cafe or get hired as a barista on a cruise ship. While that is kind of true, there's so much more to it than that. If I look back on my life, the story it tells is different. </div>
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I know that God had a hand in every job I've gotten. I had the credentials to get hired as an English teacher after graduation, but I struggled at first. During the first couple months I felt like I was doing a bad job in some of the group classes. I had trouble reading the students, picking topics they enjoyed and getting the to talk. I really prayed, begging God to help me. I didn't know what to do, but he did. After several more months I was able to run effective classes and have fun at the same time. And I know it was nothing I did. Then when I moved back to the US, I had no coffee experience but was hired at the Cafe anyway. I gained valuable experience that helped me get my current job...right? Well, I'm sure my experience helped some, but the way I've gotten my jobs showed me that it was all God and nothing I could do. I applied for many, many, many coffee jobs here. I have experience in coffee, restaurants, and interacting with people so I figured it would be easy. But no. When I was finally hired at my current cafe, due to some bizarre circumstances. She called me because she didn't know what else to do. Then the library. When I applied for the shelver position initially, I figured I'd be a good candidate because I worked in my college library for four years. But I didn't get the job. It wasn't until more than a month later that they called me back and offered me a job. That clearly was God opening the door for me. Clearly I can come up with all the plans I want but God is the one who makes things happen. I want to learn to pin all my hopes on him. In these I'm talking about a jobs, but we must pin our hopes on him in every situation. And most important of all, he is our hope for salvation and true life. Amazing!<br />
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Holiness isn't that popular of a subject these days. I think it comes with the connotation of being stuck-up or self-righteous or the "holier-than-thou" stuff. But we can't ignore the fact that the Bible has called to holiness. It's not something I understand easily. What does it mean to be holy while still being a sinner? If not, then why has God called us to the impossible. There's so much more to learn and study, but that's the exciting part.</div>
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<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-81755548728545380232013-03-19T12:13:00.002+08:002013-03-19T12:19:09.472+08:00On Corned Beef and BarbershopsYesterday I had a strong desire to consume some corned beef. On any other day, that might be unusual, but yesterday was St. Patrick's Day. It's one of my favorite holidays. No, I'm not Irish. I just relish the day that the world turns green. Growing up, it was a given that we'd eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day. My mother would usually buy several corned beef masses, a couple to be frozen for future use, and one to plop in the crockpot. My anticipation would build as the smell of cooking meat filled the house. <br />
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Last St. Paddy's Day, I attempted my own corned beef dinner. Now, I'm usually pretty good with new recipes, but that day I ran into several problems. First, I was working with a new (well, technically used) crockpot and was confounded when the water refused to come to a boil. What do you do when it won't boil? Does that mean the meat won't ever cook? Then there's the fact that corned beef is pink. How in the world do you tell if meat is cooked if it is pink even after it's done? You can smirk and tell me to use a meat thermometer, dummy, but no, I didn't have one. And without it, my wonderful hunk of corned beef turned into a paradoxically tough and soggy mass. After a few forced bites, I gave up in despair.<br />
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This year I don't have a crockpot (that one didn't last long), and I went to church and worked all day so I didn't even have time to make another attempt, but I still really wanted some corned beef. My brother and I tried to go to an Irish pub downtown. Surely they would have corned beef. Unfortunately, they were more about the beer than the corned beef. We squeezed our way into a white tent filled with people in leprechaun hats downing pints of beer. That's all well and good, but I was hungry. It didn't look like we'd be getting any food for at least an hour, so we left. Our next attempt was a place called Cafe Amsterdam. Although not Irish, they have (I hear) a variety of beer from all over Europe. We assumed they'd also have Ruebens. But they were closed.<br />
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Finally, we went to a non-descript place called Peggy's. Peggy's. But at least their special sign said they had corned beef. Our waitress showed us to our booth, and the first thing I noticed were the spider plants hanging in pots from the ceiling. It reminded me of my grandma's house. In fact, after looking around the diningroom, the whole place reminded me of grandma's house. There was blatantly fake wood panelling on the walls. Strange little knickknacks were tucked around the room in odd places. Brown, well-loved mugs sat upside down on our table. Everything was clean but a bit dark and worn. They offered a plethora of pies, even blackberry, my personal favorite. I gave in to temptation and had a slice. Delicious, but grandma's was better. Probably because she always put sugar on top that got all crispy while it baked.<br />
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The corned beef was fine, albeit a bit too well-cooked. Even that reminded me of grandma. She always made sure that the cow was very, very dead. We ate in a side booth, and I couldn't help noticing that we were the only customers in a booth. The other patrons sat at the horseshoe-shaped counter in the center of the room. I kept a quiet eye on them as I chewed my smushy carrots.<br />
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They were all men, mostly in their fifties and sixties, but a few forty-somethings. One thirty-something wandered in at the end. They didn't come in together and sat a few stools apart, but they had an easy camaraderie like they were in the same club. Boys only. One would wander out and another would take his place drinking coffee and gobbling pie. <br />
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I heard snatches of local gossip--a man shot a Walmart manager for not allowing his dog inside--and some good-natured ribbing. The waitresses, two ladies in their later years, were honorary members. They greeted and joked and poured coffee. It was a community. <br />
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I've always heard of the famed barbershop, the local male hangout where men bond and get a shave. I've of course never participated in such a phenomenon, but I did witness it from afar. There was a barbershop across the street from my old cafe. I enjoyed watching the men come and go. Grizzled old vets would stump in and out. Young fathers would herd their young offspring in the ever-swinging door. A wide assortment of men would come and go under the twirling red, blue and white pole. Some would visit every two weeks. I wanted to yell at some, don't do it! You'll have nothing left!<br />
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I liked to think that we had our own barbershop at the cafe. A group of men would crowd around a table early in the morning; on the sidewalk tables if it were nice, in the diningroom if it were cold. Most of them ordered black mugs of bottomless drip coffee and talked and drank the morning away. When I worked mornings, I was a supporting member, greeting them and making sure the airpots of coffee stayed full. It was a neverending battle.<br />
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There's something magical about a place like that. The community is tangible. No matter how we've morphed and evolved as a society, the campfire story hour is still alive. I think it's stayed with us because it's a necessary time of connection. It's never really about the shave or the pie, it's about the people. <br />
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But it would help if the pie had sugar on the crust. <br />
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<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-33389593117807506132013-02-24T15:45:00.000+08:002013-02-24T15:49:30.147+08:00Fur RondyLast week one of my customers at the cafe told me that this weekend was Anchorage's Fur Rendezvous festival. I looked into it and it sounded great! Apparently Fur Rondy, as it's called, has been around for a very long time and originated as a time for fur traders to get together and sell their wares. These days it still has a fur element (many people wearing and selling fur) but seems to be more of a winter festival. I had a thoroughly enjoyable time!<br />
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Nathan, Dan and I started the day off by breakfast at City Diner. I've been looking at that building every time I drive by, so it was fun to finally eat there. It was a cute, fifties-style diner, and we all ordered pancakes.<br />
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Coffee. Need. Coffee.</div>
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After breakfast we went downtown to catch the dogsled race. I was surprised to see that most of the dogs weren't big huskies or malamutes, but little mutt dogs instead. I was later told that the big dogs are for long races where they need endurance but the little dogs are better for short, sprint races. It was fun to watch, but my feet got so cold standing in the snow. </div>
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There were a lot of people selling food up and down the streets.</div>
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Run, doggies, run!</div>
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Trying to stay warm.</div>
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After the race we wandered down to the Railroad Station where they were having a miniature train show. They had a bunch of different environments (if that's even what they're called) but my favorite one was the miniature Hogwarts. </div>
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Afterwards we wandered through the carnival and stopped to watch some of the fur auction. Of course, the fur auction is how Fur Rondy got started in the first place. While I'm not particularly interested in fur (although it does look super warm and fuzzy), it was still fun to watch the proceedings and the people in the crowd.</div>
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Can I get three hundred for the artic foxes?</div>
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Many people were really into the Fur Rondy spirit.</div>
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We were a little cold at that point so we stopped in Sidestreet Espresso for a hot drink. I really like Sidestreet. It's very quirky and eclectic, and has apparently been around for twenty years. The owner creates intense whiteboard special boards for their drink of the week. He draws authors or literary figures or adventurers or musicians and has a quote included on the board. They're awesome! </div>
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We walked around downtown some more, looking in different shops. I stopped in the art fair to look around. I found the original customer who had told me about the festival at a booth selling some of his handiwork. After walking around for awhile, we were getting hungry so we stopped in a little hole-in-the-wall that sells pelmenis, Russian dumplings. The owner was very friendly and chatted with us while he cooked us up some dumplings. </div>
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I had the potato and Nathan and Dan had the beef.</div>
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SOOOO good. Perfect cold-weather food.</div>
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After filling up on delicious dumplings, we headed over to the the snow sculpting contest. There were so many fun sculptures and it seemed like everyone was having a great time!</div>
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Near the snow sculpting area, they were having a snowboard/ski competition, so we went over to watch. It was the first such competition I'd been to, and it was fun! The one downside was that the competitors kept wiping out. I'm no expert in the least, but it seemed as if something wasn't set up right. Maybe the original ramp wasn't high enough or the angle of the slope was wrong or something, but it seemed like most of the skiers/snowboarders were having trouble. Still, a couple of them managed some cool flips and stuff. It was a good ending activity.</div>
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Moose!</div>
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The ramp.</div>
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In the air!</div>
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By that time we were tired and ready to go home. As we walked back to the car, it started snowing, a lovely, soft snow. Beautiful.</div>
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<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-79491882090694394792013-02-18T10:10:00.003+08:002013-02-18T10:12:37.167+08:00Sunday Drive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've really been enjoying myself here, although I'm not doing tons of crazy things. I'm just enjoying being here in a new place. I love the cold weather! In Arkansas right before I moved, it was in the seventies! In November! So terrible. I think cold weather feels so fresh and invigorating, and it's nice to wear coats and scarves. The one thing I don't like is about it is that it's harder to wear jewelry. I'll start to put on a bracelet but then think, "What's the point? My coat will cover it up anyway." Also shoes. I have a lot of shoes I like, but they're all summer shoes. Fun, but definitely not snow friendly. I do have one pair of boots that I wear all the time. </div>
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Now that I'm more settled, I'll try to post more. I have a lot of ideas of things I'd like to post about (especially sketchy food places) but I keep forgetting my camera! I'll have to remember to carry it around. Well, here are some pictures that will show you a bit of the area around Anchorage.</div>
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One Sunday afternoon, Nathan and I decided to go for a drive. It was a beautiful afternoon. We went down the highway by the frozen bay.</div>
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See the sun setting? It was only threeish! Although the days are longer now, when we first arrived the sun would start coming up at nine thirty to ten and start setting around three. It would be totally dark by four! </div>
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The water looked so cool with all the floating ice. The current was making the ice chunks swirl around each other and it was actually moving really quickly! </div>
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Of course, we stopped at a little coffe place to get some espresso! Man, there are SO many espresso places around here. There are coffee huts everywhere. I guess that's what happens when it's cold and you only have five or six hours of sunlight in mid-winter. This little shop was so quirky and interesting. See the fluffy dogs on the porch? I also bought some fun cards to send my penpal.</div>
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The light was fading, but I was still able to get one of the ski mountain. So twinkly!</div>
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Hope you enjoy these, and look forward to more frigid fun!</div>
<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-54713253725897638222013-02-08T11:30:00.001+08:002013-02-08T11:30:20.580+08:00Making Christmas Of course this is WAY late, but I thought I'd give a little update about my holidays in Alaska. First though, an update. I have found two part-time jobs! I work three days a week at a small cafe. The owner is great, and I really enjoy it. I also am working at a Target Starbucks (yes...). I'm very grateful to be gainfully employed! It's also nice that both places are relatively close to where I live. I bought a car, but it's not quite in running shape yet, so until them I'm walking. Yeah for forced exercise.<br />
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Anyway, the holidays were pretty uneventful, but not bad. Nathan and I skyped with Mom, Dad, and Amelia on our Christmas Eve, so that was nice. We opened our presents from Mom and Dad, and Dad opened the present from me, but our other packages hadn't arrived yet! It got there, eventually.<br />
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I had all these plans to decorate and stuff, but I lost my motivation. We still weren't unpacked and had stuff everywhere. Besides, I wasn't feeling up to buying a bunch of stuff that I probably wouldn't use again. SO, I had to settle with my favorite little Santa. We didn't have a tree, so I figured he'd do, since he's kind of tree-shaped. </div>
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He was kind of small for a tree, but since our presents were small too, it worked out perfectly! </div>
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Nathan gave me a coat! Isn't it cute? We went to REI a few days later so I could pick up my present. </div>
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There's nothing like a good Christmas dinner! For us it consisted of porkchops (which I don't often cook), potato salad (my favorite), cranberry sauce (my second favorite) and garlic spinach. It was pretty yummy, if I do say so myself.</div>
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In the afternoon we decided to go see a movie. Funnily enough, a few weeks before I was incredulous that Les Miserables was coming out on Christmas Day. I think my words were somewhere along the lines of "what loser would go to a movie on Christmas day." [side note: I was half joking and not trying to offend anyone]. But then on Christmas, it was just me and Nathan and no other family to hang out with, so what did we do? Yup, went to a movie. </div>
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The first theater we went to was sold out, so we went to another one. That had a later show available, so we bought tickets and went for a drive while we waited. It's like driving around in Narnia.</div>
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All in all, it was a quiet but nice Christmas. </div>
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<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-54561599250965527732012-12-25T08:57:00.000+08:002012-12-25T08:58:59.081+08:00NorthwardI got picked up in Seattle by Nathan and some of his friends. They spent some time wandering around Seattle, and then we dropped two of them off at the airport to fly home. Their part of the roadtrip was over. Nathan, his friend Tim, and I went to Nathan's college roommate's house that night. The next morning after coffee and breakfast, we were off. <br />
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Breakfast with our host before heading out</div>
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We spent quite awhile at the Canadian border talking to their security agents. There was a friendly-looking one with a mustache and then a tall, grumpy-looking one. Can you guess which one we got? Yes, the grumpy one. He questioned us for quite awhile and informed my brother tersely that he would be sent to jail and then deported and never allowed back into Canada if he was carrying any guns over the border. After emptying the contents of our car and going through them, they were satisfied that we weren't arms smugglers and let us go. I suppose we should be grateful that they at least put our stuff back.<br />
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Our first destination was Fort George, one of the largest (in a matter of speaking) towns before heading out into the wilderness. We stopped were going to get a block heater installed that night before things got really cold, but the mechanic found a leaking water pump. We had to spend an extra day there waiting for that to be fixed. I wandered around the town a bit. I had fun at the local natural history museum, a chocolate cafe, and the local library. While at the library I read John Goff's book "Love Does." I'm a big fan and would recommend it to everyone!<br />
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1. Trying to fit in with the Canucks by having breakfast at Tim Hortons.</div>
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2. Making friends at the Fort George museum.</div>
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The next morning we hit the road again with our smancy new heater. We were definitely going to use it. The timeline is a little hazy (five days in the car will do that to you) but at some point we made it into the Yukon and from there made it into Alaska. It was pretty chilly but gorgeous. High up the trees come pre-flocked!</div>
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One night, in Tok Alaska, it was -45F! Even with a new heater, the floor never heated up. I had to keep my feet off the floor of the truck or they would freeze. The air felt really strange to breath as well, kind of ticklish and dry.</div>
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1. -45F!</div>
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2. We were enveloped in a cloud whenever we opened the door.</div>
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3. Trying to stay warm.</div>
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The next day after our frigid night, we drove our last leg into Anchorage. The way was beautiful, and I was so happy to be in my new home!</div>
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<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-67625152335231851042012-12-20T17:45:00.006+08:002012-12-20T17:47:57.666+08:00Hanging in SeattleThe day after Thanksgiving at six in the morning, I was on a plane heading to Seattle. I got to spend three days in the beautiful city! <br />
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After a layover in Chicago and two uneventful flights, I made it to my downtown hostel by three in the afternoon. My hostel, The Green Tortoise, is located right by Pike's Place Market! The staff were really nice, and I loved that they had green beds and bed curtains. After checking in I couldn't decide if I was more exhausted (I only slept two hours the night before) or more hungry (I hadn't eaten since three thirty in the morning). My hunger finally got the best of me and I headed out to find sustenance. <br />
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My humble abode</div>
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I tried to go to an Italian place that the girl at the hostel recommended, but I had a hard time finding it so I finally stumbled into a Thai place, ravenous. I consumed one of my Thai favorites, Pad See Ew, and went out to explore. I wandered through the rain, looking at different shops. There was an extremely kitchen store that had cute gadgets, specialty food items, and a million different kinds of whisks! If I had my own home and money, I would have been tempted to walk away with lots of things. I explored for awhile, but I got too tired so I went back for a nap. When I woke up. all I had time for was dinner and interesting conversations with other people at the hostel.</div>
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The next day I spent most of my time in the International District. I mostly spent time eating and drinking, but I also had fun wandering around. I spent a lot of time at Kinokuniya, a Japanese bookstore. From the bookstore you can walk right into an enormous Japanese/international grocery store. Man, I wish I had a store like that near me!</div>
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I had SO many things to eat! I had almost all of my Hong Kong favorites. I started out by getting egg tarts at a Chinese bakery. There were a bunch of older Chinese people at the back tables, hanging out, reading papers, shooting the breeze. I sat while I ate my egg tart, and was so happy to hear Cantonese again! I asked the girl at the front if she knew where I could get Hong Kong style milk tea. She directed me to a little shop around the block. There's no way I could have found it on my own, since there was no English sign or visible English menu. I think the people were a little confused that I only wanted milk tea, but I was in heaven. I hadn't had HK style milk tea in so long, and I was pleased to see that their size was larger than in Hong Kong. Later for lunch I had shrimp in egg sauce and was able to practice (albeit very badly) my quickly vanishing Canto with the ladies at that shop. And then in the early evening, before heading back, I went to a bubble tea shop. I was so happy that they had my favorite flavor, chocolate milk tea! I've never seen that in the States before. If only there were some in Anchorage...</div>
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The next day I went to church and then walked over to Olympian Park. It was a nice walk, but I think maybe the park is a little overrated. Or maybe my expectations of the park's artwork were overblown. I walked down the harbor and around the city. I did a lot of walking! I went up (literally, up a very tall hill) to a free museum. Nearby there was a beautiful cathedral that had started exploring when the bells rang. I looked at the schedule and saw that afternoon prayers were beginning, so I snuck in. It's been awhile since I've been in a traditional service like that, and it was very refreshing.</div>
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The next morning I had to check out at eleven in the morning, and my brother was going to pick me up later. I went with my bags to a cafe next door. I was joined by some lovely people I met at the hostel, and we spent a nice couple of hours, drinking coffee and chatting. It's always nice to meet new people!</div>
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New friends</div>
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I've always loved Seattle, and I'm so glad I could spend a couple days there relaxing and exploring. I'd totally move there if it rained less. I guess I'll just have to get someone else to move there so I can visit during the good weather. Hm...sister?</div>
<br />Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-81277109970424231592012-12-11T08:56:00.001+08:002012-12-11T08:56:19.506+08:00First WeekIt's been a week since I arrived in Anchorage, chilly but happy. The first thing we did, after dumping our stuff at Nathan's apartment, was head over to Moose's Tooth, a local pizza joint. The pizza was fantastic, a great way to celebrate the end of our long trip.<br />
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The next day, I decided to explore the downtown area. Nathan had run home on his lunch hour and kindly agreed to drop me off right in front of the visitor's center which so happens to be in a log cabin with grass growing on the roof. Two nice elderly ladies helped me with maps and information about weather. I walked around the streets for awhile, ducking into gift-shops now and then to warm up. While it wasn't nearly as cold as Tok (-45!), Anchorage's 15F weather was still making me chilly. After all, Arkansas had done nothing to prepare me for the cold--it was 73F on Thanksgiving Day! <br />
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I spent quite awhile at the second visitors center, or whatever it is, a small museum that also shows short movies about Alaska and Anchorage. I watched two of them, one about the history of Alaska and another about different cultures in Sitka. The workers there were very friendly, talking to me for quite awhile. One man told me that in the spring, April I think, the raptors and eagles will come back, forming a giant flock. He told me a place to go and watch, and I think I will! Something to look forward to.<br />
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I walked around some more, stopping by the mall and in various shops, and decided that I needed a warming drink. I chose a small cafe to get a latte and read some of the visitor center brochures. After that, the sun was setting so I decided it was about time to catch the bus home. I found the bus station with no problem but had to wait a half an hour for my bus. It seems that most of the people here yell "thank you" to the bus driver as they get off. I kind of like that. :)<br />
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I visited the public library later in the week. It's on the same bus route that takes me downtown, so it's very convenient. I really like that library! It has four levels with lots of seating and windows. The selection seems quite grand as well! They have a cafe on the ground level. I asked if they were hiring, and the lady told me to drop off an application, which I later did.<br />
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So now I'm just searching for jobs! I've sent off many applications and have had one interview already. Since I haven't gotten a car yet, I two times I've had to walk about four miles to get there and back. I think that it will help me acclimate, since it was 5F at the time. The first time I wore regular leggings under my jeans, and my legs were so cold! Also, I had on a hoodie. The hood kept my ears and head nice and warm but then I didn't have a scarf, so the bottom of my face froze! The next time I wore my flannel-lined leggings and wore a hat and scarf instead of a hoodie. I could wrap the scarf around the bottom of my face which kept it warm, although then my breath did make a bit of ice on the scarf. The second time I was pretty warm, so I think it was a success! I also found a pretty nice thrift store that's only a mile away. I bought a sweater, a sweatshirt, and a book. I should probably get more winter clothes! <br />
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We're staying at one of my brother's friend's house since our stuff is being shipped and hasn't arrived. We're hoping that it will come in this week so I can get to rearranging and the like. Well, lots to do, but I'm enjoying my first week in Anchorage.Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-35039737389184816092012-12-03T15:04:00.001+08:002012-12-03T15:04:24.629+08:00Yukon Ho!This title is a bit of a lie. I probably should've written this post a week ago, but I didn't have much time during all the moving craziness, and now I just can't resist this Calvin and Hobbes reference. Basically, I'm in Anchorage now! Yep, I've moved to Alaska.<br />
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My brother got transferred to Anchorage with his job and he asked if I wanted to come along. I've wanted to live in Alaska since high school, so I said of course! And now I'm here.<br />
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The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of crazy. I had Thanksgiving at my sister's in Siloam, and my brother and a roommate were able to join us. The next morning (at 6:09) my flight left XNA for Seattle! I was pretty excited to fly out of XNA, since I always fly out of Tulsa. I liked the rocking chairs. I was able to rock and zone out while waiting for my flight. I did a lot of zoning, since I had gone to bed at one the night before and gotten up at three. My time in Seattle was quite wonderful! I'll have to write a post about it later when I can get my picture software sorted out (curse you Apple!).<br />
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I was there three days, waiting for Nathan to pick me up. He and three friends road-tripped up to Seattle, where they picked me up. Two of them flew back to Tulsa while Nathan, I and one other friend kept going up through Canada. Yes, we drove through British Columbia and the Yukon in late November/early December. Yukon ho!<br />
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Well, on the bright side, we're alive! We just made it to Anchorage this afternoon. I have lots of pictures and stories to share but that'll have to come at a later time. The sun is setting around four, so I get tired early. Good night!Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-33015423453472170352012-10-17T12:34:00.000+08:002012-10-17T12:34:11.080+08:00On MusicI've been thinking about music a lot lately. I've always loved music. I took piano lessons for years and was also in band for a good part of my life. I love listening to music as well, especially if I'm in the car where I can crank the volume and sing at the top of my lungs. Music is so big to me that it's sometimes painful when someone is talking to me when a favorite song is playing. <br />
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While I love music, I am pretty particular. My tastes are very eclectic (ska, symphonic metal, hardcore punk, Kpop, classical, etc.), but there are also a lot of things that I dislike. I tend to despise "shoe-gazer" music or stuff that's too slow or mellow. When I hear Bittersweet Symphony I want to scream. I also can't stand country. I could go on, but you probably get the picture. <br />
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I used to be even more picky. Recently I've come to appreciate more and more styles of music. I think I used to be more judgmental about music I didn't like. "It's not hard enough." "Pop is lame." "They're just wannabes." Although I still have strong likes and dislikes, I'm coming to appreciate lots of different things. Sometimes I wouldn't want to like certain artists or genres because they didn't seem to fit with other things I like. Since I like punk and metalcore, I certainly can't like Kelly Clarkson, right? Maybe it's just because I'm older, but now I have no problem admitting that I like Kelly Clarkson. <br />
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Part of that is because I'm trying to give different genres and artists a chance before passing immediate judgment. Part of that is I care less of trying to please people. While I still wouldn't wear a Kpop shirt to a metal show, I proudly like both. The other part is that now I don't try to judge all music by the same ruler. I used to disparage pop music because it wasn't as musically complex, edgy or lyrically compelling as some other genres. Now I think that that doesn't matter. There are times when I want meaty lyrics and inspiring instrumentals, but there are also times when I want to dance around with my friends and sing about the weekend. Both are good but they made are for very different purposes. <br />
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I've also been thinking about song-writing recently and realized that my view on that has also changed. Most Americans, at least those who care about music, prefer bands that write their own songs. They tend to scoff at musicians who just perform others' work, seeing them as lame at best and talentless fakes at worst. I used to have that same attitude, but I'm not so sure anymore.<br />
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Sure, I think it's awesome when people can write and perform their own music. That takes a great deal of talent and hard work, and I take my hat off to such musicians. At the same time, I don't think performing someone else's song is necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes people are very good at writing songs but don't have the singing chops necessary to bring it to the world. Should those songs be lost because their writer can't perform? It seems to me that the collaboration between a singer and songwriter can only bring more to quality songs to the table. <br />
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I think the most important thing is that the singer or band choose songs carefully so that they are actually connecting with what they sing. That connection and passion is important in any kind of music, no matter who writes it. <br />
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All that to say, I've really been trying to learn more about music recently. No matter how much I've studied in the past, there's still so much to learn! I've been having a good time discovering new facts and talents as well as surprising myself with new likes and ideas. I'm sure I'll update you more in the future as to new things I'm learning.Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982766584220103316.post-58992573682992039982012-09-14T23:38:00.002+08:002012-09-14T23:39:17.763+08:00Hello?It's been quite awhile since I last posted here. It's not that I didn't have exciting adventures to post about; I had plenty of blog material. Sometimes I would even think of how I would write up a particularly fun adventure but something would always stop me.<br />
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I think that after consistently blogging for over a year, I was getting tired. I want this blog to be a fun way to share my life and exercise my writing, but it had turned into a chore. Now that I've had a nice break to relax work on other things, I feel ready to dive in again!<br />
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If this blog were a book, it's as if I've found it in a corner, picked it up, and blew the dust off the cover. I've flipped through the pages, smiling at old memories and favorite passages. Now it's time to add to the book. I don't know if anyone is still there reading, but I'll be here writing. Read along if you like.Lolaihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03378356771674173373noreply@blogger.com2